UN Investigators Call There Is War Crime In Russian-Ukraine Conflicts

The discovery of mass graves in Izium, Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/armyinform.com.ua)

JAKARTA - UN investigators say war crimes have occurred in Ukraine's conflict, with bombings on civilian areas, violent executions, torture to sexual violence.

"Based on the evidence collected by the Commission, it has been concluded that war crimes have been committed in Ukraine," Erik Mose, head of the investigative team, told the UN Human Rights Council, citing CNA from AFP Sept. 23.

UN investigators usually submit their findings on international crimes in terms of conditional language, referring to the final confirmation of war crimes and similar violations to legal courts.

The council was formed by the Investigation Commission, the highest possible investigation rate, in May to investigate crimes in Russia's war in Ukraine.

A team of three independent experts presented their first verbal updates to the board, after launching preliminary investigations looking at the areas of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Sumy, saying they would expand their future investigations.

Speaking the day before the seven-month anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Mose pointed to "the use of explosive weapons by the Russian Federation with broad effects on populated areas", which he said was "the source of great danger and suffering to civilians."

He highlighted that a number of attacks investigated by the team "have been carried out without distinguishing between civilians and combatants, including attacks with bunches of munitions in populated areas."

The team, he said, was "surprised by the many executions in the area visited", and the frequent "signs of execution seen on the body, such as hands tied back, gunshot wounds to the head and slit the neck".

Mose said the commission is currently investigating such deaths in 16 cities and settlements, as well as receiving reliable accusations of more cases to be documented.

Investigators have also received "consistent reports of ill-treatment and torture, which were carried out during unlawful detention".

Several victims told investigators they had been transferred to Russia and detained for weeks in prison. Others have 'disappeared' after the transfer.

"The opposing parties describe beatings, electric shocks, and forced nudity, as well as other types of violations at the detention facility," said Mose.

The commission chief said investigators had also "processed two incidents of abuse against the soldiers of the Russian Federation by Ukrainian forces", adding "Although the numbers are small, such cases continue to be our concern".

The team has also documented cases of sexual violence and is gender-based, said Mose, in some cases the Russian army was the culprit.

"There is an example of a case where relatives are forced to witness crimes," said Mose.

"In the case that we are investigating, the age of victims of sexual violence and gender-based is between four and 82 years," he explained.

He added that the commission has documented various crimes against children, including children who were "raped, tortured and illegally locked up."